Coulter unit for high speed tillage applications

ABSTRACT

A tillage coulter unit ( 22 ) adapted for use with a farmimplement ( 10 ) is provided which permits highspeed tillage operations (e.g., field fertilization using liquid fertilizer such as ammonia, or seeding) without undue soil disruption or fertilizer vaporization. The coulter unit ( 22 ) includes an upright, rotatable coulter blade ( 26 ) with a gauge assembly ( 28 ) operable to limit the depth of the coulter blade into soil and to minimize soil disruption. The gauge assembly ( 28 ) preferably includes a pair of elongated, shiftable belt or chain loops ( 74 ) positioned in straddling relationship and astride the blade ( 26 ). The loops ( 74 ) present lower runs ( 96 ) which substantially contact the soil as the unit ( 22 ) traverses a field.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is broadly concerned with farm implements including soil-penetrating coulter units which are designed for high speed application of fertilizers (e.g., ammonia) or other products (e.g., seeds) to soil. More particularly, the invention is concerned with such implements, and the coulter units forming a part thereof, wherein the coulter units are provided with a gauge assembly to limit the depth of penetration of the coulter blade into soil, while also serving to minimize soil disruption. Preferably, the gauge assembly includes a pair of continuous, shiftable loops astride the coulter blade and arranged to engage the surface of the earth as the coulter unit traverses a field.

2. Description of the Prior Art

A variety of farm tillage implements have been provided in the past for seed planting or incorporation ofvarious liquid preparations and/or other products into the soil. Generally, these types ofimplements include a plurality ofrotatably mounted, disc-shaped coulter blades, which form slits or trenches in the soil as the implement is pulled through a field. In fertilizer or seeding applications, each coulter blade is typically trailed by a shoe or knife supporting a tube through which liquid fertilizer, seed or the like is incorporated into the soil. An implement ofthis character is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,957.

A problem with conventional coulter implements, and especially those used in the context of soil fertilization, is the inability to rapidly pull the implements through the soil. Relatively high speed operation of such implements results in two adverse effects. First, such operation tends to unacceptably disrupt or “throw up” the soil adjacent the coulter blades leaving the field in a poor condition and making subsequent field operations more difficult. Second, because of these disruptions, the injected liquid fertilizer has an opportunity to vaporize into the atmosphere, such that the value of the fertilizer is lost.

There is accordingly a need in the art for an improved coulter design which overcomes the aforementioned problems and permits highspeed and therefore more efficient field tillage operations, including fertilization and seeding.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,971 describes a tillage implement having coulter units, wherein a pair of driven, blade-cleaning belts are positioned on opposite sides of and in engagement with each coulter blade. However, each blade set is located adjacent the upper extent of the associated coulter blade, and therefore the belts are not designed for contact with the soil.

Other references of interest include U.S. Pat. Nos. 197,204, 709,741, 1,062,169, 2,391,910, 2,912,944, 5,626,196, 7,481,171; U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2010/0282480; and non-patent literature Agronimic Row Crops-Cultivator Components, found on-line at http://www.sare.org/publications/steel/pg26.htm, (Date Accessed Dec. 29, 2010).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the problems outlined above and provides a mobile coulter unit operable to traverse soil and comprising a rotatable coulter blade having a pair of opposed side faces and operable to penetrate the soil as the coulter unit traverses the soil. The unit also includes a gauge assembly operable to limit the depth of said coulter blade in the soil and to minimize soil disruption as the coulter blade traverses the soil. The gauge assembly includes a pair of continuous, shiftable loops respectively located astride and proximal to a corresponding coulter side face so that the loops straddle the coulter blade. Each such loop presents an upper run and a lower run, with the lower run operable to engage the upper surface of the soil. Additionally, the gauge assembly includes apparatus for maintaining the lower loop runs in substantial contact with said soil surface as the coulter unit traverses the soil.

Preferably, the gauge assembly loops are oriented in a generally horizontal fashion and substantially span the diameter of the associated coulter blade. Advantageously, the loops extend a fore-and-aft distance greater than the diameter of the coulter blade whereby the opposite ends ofsaid lower runs are each located outboard of the adjacent periphery of said coulter blade. The loops may be formed of any desired material suitable for field use, such as belts, chains, or the like; in some cases the loops are advantageously formed of continuous chains, and the latter maybe provided with outer, apertured plates, which define the soil-engaging surfaces of the lower runs.

The preferred hold-down apparatus for the coulter unit comprises a piston and cylinder assembly operable to maintain a downward force on the coulter blade and gauge assembly, so as to maintain the proper coulter depth and substantial, continuous contact between the lower loop runs and the surface of the soil.

In the case of fertilizer application or seeding coulter units, it is preferred to provide a blade or shoe proximal to the trailing edge of the coulter blade, with the blade or shoe equipped with a tubular conduit having a lowermost open delivery end so that agriculturally useful products maybe applied as the coulter unit traverses the field.

The shiftable components of the preferred coulter unit are non-powered, i.e., the rotation of the coulter blade and the shifting ofthe gauge assembly loops occurs by virtue of frictional engagement with the soil as the unit traverses a field.

A complete farm implement in accordance with the invention generally includes a mobile frame adapted to traverse soil and including a tool bar. A plurality of the coulter units of the invention are mounted in laterally spaced relationship across the width of the tool bar. The implement is generally equipped with appropriate height adjustment and hitch mounting structure permitting the implement to be coupled with a tractor or the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tillage farm implement in accordance with the invention, including a mobile frame supporting a plurality of improved coulter units;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view ofthe implement illustrated in FIG. 1, and further depicting one of the coulter units;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary rear perspective view of one of the coulter units;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a coulter unit, with one of the side frames removed;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of one of the coulter units;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the carriage structure forming a part of each coulter unit;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating the hub assembly forming a part of each coulter unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Turning now to the drawings, a tillage farm implement 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1. The implement 10 includes a main frame 12 having a rearward tool bar 14. The frame 12 is supported by a pair of ground wheels 16 secured by means of conventional implement height adjustment mechanisms 18. The frame 12 is equipped with three-point hitch mounting structure 20 allowing the implement 10 to be coupled to a tractor hitch. A plurality of coulter units 22 are secured to toolbar 14 in laterally spaced relationship so that the units 22 span the width of implement 10. As will be readily understood, the implement 10 is designed to be pulled by a tractor or the like across a field so that the coulter units 22 traverse and penetrate the soil.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, each coulter unit 22 generallyincludes frame structure 24 supporting a rotatable coulter blade 26, a dual-loop gauge assembly 28, and a fertilizer application shoe 30. The coulter blade 26 is designed to penetrate the soil 32 with the gauge assembly 28 engaging the upper surface 34 of soil 32 in order to permit high speed travel of implement 10 with application of agriculturally useful products via shoe 30.

In more detail, the frame structure 24 comprises an uppermost mounting plate 36, which is secured to toolbar 14 by means of U-bolts 38. The mounting plate has a pair of rearwardly projecting, vertically spaced apart, bifurcated, apertured ears 40. A rearward, somewhat U-shaped plate 44 is located adjacent the plate 36 and has apertured flanges 46 supporting an upright tube 47. The flanges 46 interfit within the ears 40, and a vertical pin 47 a with an upper lateral locking flange is positioned within the tube. A bolt 47 b extends through the locking flange and the upper ear 40 to hold pin 47 a in place. The plate 44 is thus supported for limited swinging movement about the axis of pin 47 a and relative to tool bar 14. In the present embodiment, the plate 44 (and hence the coulter unit itself) swings through a total arc of 15°.

A pair of downwardly extending side plates 48 are pivotally secured to the lower end of plate 44 by means of cross shaft 50, the latter secured in place by bolt 51. Each side plate 48 has a side channel frame 52 and an outer facia plate 54. As best seen in FIG. 8, a pillow block bearing assembly 56 is secured to the lower end of each side channel frame 52 by means ofconnectors 58. In order to rigidify the overall frame structure, the side channel frames are interconnected to each other by appropriate channel crosspieces so as to define a unified box frame.

The frame structure 24 also includes a coulter mount 60 (see FIG. 8) including an elongated, horizontally extending axle 62 which is supported by the bearing assemblies 56. A coulter hub 64 is mounted on axle 62 between the assemblies 56, with the hub 64 in turn supporting an annular ring 65. The coulter blade 26 is clamped to ring 65 by means of a separate clamp ring 66, using threaded connectors 68. In this fashion, the blade 26 and axle 62 are supported for rotation by the pillow block bearings 56. The coulter blade 26 is itself conventional and includes an outermost, tapered, soil-penetrating periphery 70.

The gauge assembly 28 includes a carriage 72 (FIG. 6) supported by the frame structure 24, as well as a pair of continuous, shiftable loops 74 carried by the carriage 72; the loops 74 are each astride an opposite face of the coulter blade 26 so that the loops straddle the blade.

In detail, the carriage 72 includes a pair of fore-and-aft extending side plates 76 equipped with bearings 78 (FIG. 8) receiving the axle 62 so that the plates 76 may rotate relative to the axle. A pair of fore-and-aft cross shafts 80, 82 extend between the opposed side plates 76 and are supported for rotation by outboard bearings 84. The shafts 80. 82 also have inner bearings 85 supporting a pair of laterally spaced apart fore-and-aft sprockets 86 and 88, to present a pair of aligned, axially spaced apart sprocket sets each made up of a sprocket 86 and a sprocket 88. A pair of continuous, identical, looped, shiftable roller chains 90 are respectively trained about each such sprocket set, so that the chains 90 are astride the blade 26 in a straddling relationship thereto. Each of the chains 90 has a plurality of apertured soil-engaging plates 92 affixed thereto. In the embodiment shown, a plate 92 is welded or otherwise secured to every other link of each roller chain 90. As best illustrated in FIG. 7, the plates 92 are substantially wider than the width ofthe associated chains 90, such that the inner ends of the plates 90 are closely adjacent to the opposed faces of the blade 26.

It will further be observed that, by virtue ofthe fore-and-aft oval configuration of the chains 90 supported on the sprockets 86, 88, the chains present generally horizontal, upper and lower chain runs 94, 96. Moreover, the fore-and-aft length of the chain loop runs are greater than the diameter of the coulter 26, so that the opposite ends of the chain loops are located outboard of the periphery 70 of coulter 26.

The gauge assembly 28 also has apparatus 98 operable to maintaincoulter 26 at a substantially constant soil depth, and to ensure that the lower runs 96 of the chains 90 are maintained in substantial contact with the surface 34 of the soil 32. The apparatus 98 includes a conventional piston and cylinder assembly 100 coupled between rear plate 44 and a crosspiece 102 forming a part ofthe channel frame 52 (see FIG. 3). In particular, the upper end or base of cylinder 104 is pivotally coupled to the upper end of plate 44 via bracket 106, whereas the outer end of rod 108 is pivotally fastened to rigid connectors 110 mounted on crosspiece 102, be means of cross pin arrangement 111.

The application shoe 30 is in the form of an arcuate segment 112, which is attached to a cross-member 114 extending between the carriage plates 76 (FIG. 6). The segment 102 has a leading edge 116 in substantial alignment with the periphery 70 of coulter 26, and a trailing applicator tube 118 terminating at a lower open end 120. Although not shown, it will be appreciated that in fertilizer applications, the implement 10 typically carries a supply of liquid fertilizer (e.g., ammonia), with individual supply tubes leading from the fertilizer supply to the upper end of the individual tubes 118. In like manner, in seeding operations the implement 10 would have a supply of seed and seed-supplying tubes coupled between the seed supply and the individual tubes 118.

Operation

In use, the implement 10 is conventionally coupled with a tractor, using the hitch mounting structure 20. The implement height may also be adjusted using the height adjustment mechanisms 18. As the implement 10 is pulled through a field, the blades 26 penetrate the soil 32 owing to the downwardly directed forces exerted by the respective piston and cylinder assemblies 100. Additionally, this serves to place the lower runs 96 of the chains 90 into substantial and continuous contact with the upper surface 34 of the soil. This soil contact serves to minimize soil disruption which would otherwise be effected by the movement of the blades 26 through the soil 132. In addition, during application of a fertilizer such as ammonium, the trailing sections of the runs 96, rearward of the applicator tube 118, assures that the openings created by the blades 26 are quickly closed, thereby preventing substantial vaporization of the fertilizer to the atmosphere. It has been found that use of coulter units in accordance with the invention permits field fertilization at implement speeds greatly in excess of common practices, e.g., on the order of 7-9 miles per hour. Similar speeds can be reached when the implement 10 is used for seeding.

The use ofthe apertured chain-mounted plates 92 serves to facilitate eliminationoftrashor field debris, which may otherwise collect in the chains 90. Moreover, the width of the plates 92, extending to a point proximal to the opposed faces of the blades 26, provides a means of controlling soil disruption and effectively closing the openings created by the blades 26.

Although the coulter units 22 have been depicted and described with the use of roller chain loops 74, for reasons of cost and ease of replacement, the loops 74 may be advantageously formed of reinforced synthetic resin belting material, with or without soil-engaging plates. 

1. A mobile coulter unit operable to traverse soil and comprising: a rotatable coulter blade having a pair of opposed side faces and operable to penetrate the soil as the coulter unit traverses the soil; and a gauge assembly operable to limit the depth of said coulter blade in the soil and to minimize soil disruption as the coulter blade traverses the soil, said gauge assembly including a pair of continuous, shiftable loops respectively located astride and proximal to a corresponding coulter side face so that the loops straddle the coulter blade, each of said loops presenting an upper run and a lower run, the lower runs of said loops operable to engage the upper surface of the soil, said gauge assembly including apparatus for maintaining said lower loop runs in substantial contact with said soil surface as the coulter unit traverses the soil.
 2. The coulter unit of claim 1, the lower runs of each of said loops extending a fore and aft distance greater than the diameter ofsaid coulter blade wherebythe opposite ends ofsaid lower runs are located outboard of the periphery of said coulter blade.
 3. The coulter unit of claim 1, each of said loops comprising a continuous chain or belt.
 4. The coulter unit of claim 3, each of said loops having a plurality of apertured plates secured thereto and defining the soil-engaging surfaces of said lower runs.
 5. The coulter unit of claim 1, including a carriage assembly supporting said loops.
 6. The coulter unit of claim 1, including an axle supporting said coulter blade for rotation thereof, each of said loops also being rotatable about said coulter blade axle.
 7. The coulter unit of claim 1, said apparatus comprising a piston and cylinder assembly.
 8. The coulter unit of claim 1, including a shoe proximal to the trailing edge of said coulter blade, said shoe having a tubular conduit for delivery of agriculturally usefulproducts to the soil as the coulter unit traverses the soil.
 9. The coulter unit of claim 1, the rotation of said coulter blade and the shifting of said loops occurring by virtue of frictional engagement with the soil as the unit traverses the soil.
 10. A farm implement comprising: a mobile frame adapted to traverse soil and including a tool bar; and a plurality of coulter units supported by said toolbar, each of said coulter units comprising— a rotatable coulter blade having a pair of opposed side faces and operable to penetrate the soil as the mobile frame and coulter unit traverse the soil; and a gauge assembly operable to limit the depth of said coulter blade in the soil and to minimize soil disruption as the coulter blade traverses the soil, said gauge assembly including a pair of continuous, shiftable loops respectively located astride and proximal to a corresponding coulter side face so that the loops straddle the coulter blade, each of said loops presenting an upper run and a lower run, the lower runs of said loops operable to engage the upper surface of the soil, said gauge assembly including apparatus for maintaining said lower loop runs in substantial contact with said soil surface as the mobile frame and coulter unit traverse the soil
 11. The coulter unit of claim 10, the lower runs of each of said loops extending a fore and aft distance greater than the diameter ofsaid coulter blade whereby the opposite ends ofsaid lower runs are located outboard of the periphery of said coulter blade.
 12. The implement of claim 10, each of said loops comprising a continuous chain or belt.
 13. The implement of claim 12, each of said loops having a plurality of apertured plates secured thereto and defining the soil-engaging surfaces of said lower runs.
 14. The implement ofclaim10, including a carriage assembly supporting said loops.
 15. The implement of claim 10, including an axle supporting said coulter blade for rotation thereof, each of said loops also being rotatable about said coulter blade axle.
 16. The implement of claim 10, said apparatus comprising a piston and cylinder assembly.
 17. The implement of claim10, including a shoe proximal to the trailing edge of said coulter blade, said shoe having a tubular conduit for delivery of agriculturally useful products to the soil as the coulter unit traverses the soil.
 18. The implement of claim 10, the rotation of said coulter blade and the shifting of said loops occurring by virtue of frictional engagement with the soil as the unit traverses the soil. 